Another sponsor of the upcoming National Tea Party Convention has pulled out, citing fears over possible "profiteering and exploitation of the grassroots movement" by the organizing group, Tea Party Nation (TPN).
Philip Glass of the National Precinct Alliance, a conservative activist group, said in a statement, according to the New York Times:
We are very concerned about the appearance of T.P.N. profiteering and exploitation of the grass-roots movement. We were under the impression that T.P.N. was a nonprofit organization like N.P.A., interested only in uniting and educating Tea Party activists on how to make a real difference in the political arena.
Glass also referred to broader divisions that are roiling the Tea Party movement. He called two Tea Party linked outfits -- the Tea Party Express (TPE), and FreedomWorks -- "Republican National Committee-related groups," declaring, "[a]t best, it creates the appearance of an R.N.C. hijacking; at worst, it is one." TPE was created by a team of GOP consultants, and FreedomWorks is a Washington lobby group run by former Republican House Majority Leader Dick Armey.
Earlier this month, another sponsor, the American Liberty Alliance, pulled out of the confab, citing similar issues to Glass. And a top conservative blogger wrote that the event "smells scammy."
Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann are scheduled to speak at the convention, which will be held in Nashville. Palin's fee has been reported to be as much as $100,000, though the figure has not been confirmed.
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